The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) conducted an Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) with U.S. Coast Guard’s 14th District, Aug. 5 – 21, in the Western Pacific Ocean.
OMSI is a maritime security operation designed to enhance maritime domain awareness, increase law enforcement presence, and expand at-sea law enforcement capabilities throughout Oceania.
The Navy-Coast Guard team, including the two embarked MH-60R helicopters from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, conducted a total of 19 external visual inspections and nine boardings to internally inspect fishing vessels across three separate jurisdictional areas – high seas, Marshall Islands and Nauru exclusive economic zones (EEZ).
OMSI is a Secretary of Defense program which leverages Department of Defense assets transiting the region to increase the U.S. Coast Guard’s maritime domain awareness (MDA), ultimately supporting its maritime law enforcement operations in Oceania.
Chafee was deployed to the 7th Fleet area of operation supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
Image: US Navy